Absence
by MarblesG
Summary: A nightmare ends with a return of a lover.


**Don't own Legend of Korra**

* * *

Breathing. It seemed as if she had forgotten how to perform the action. She had to think about taking the deep breaths and exhaling, an experience that was foreign to her. She had no idea where she was at the moment, darkness only engulfing her all together. Fear was nowhere within her. The dark had never scared her. Not even as a child. Other children were afraid because they couldn't see anything around them, but not her. Her mother taught her that seeing is not only for the eyes. You can see through a different light, something Toph had done all her life. She was a super hero to her.

This was different. There was a eeriness in the air that she had trouble breathing in. It was practically suffocating. She knew there was something else accompanying her and she didn't like the vibes it was giving off. She tried moving her legs, working regularly as always. Making contact with the surface below her, she could sense vibrations talking to her and they weren't pleasant. She clenched her fists.

Frantic footsteps, of different weight, shot up her feet. There were all different kinds of people. Men. Women. Children. They were all running, sprinting even, worriedly. Their heartbeats were raging, pulsing faster than humanly possible. Scared. That's what they were. She had never felt anything like this. Something so fearful. It was, may she say it, scaring her.

Suddenly, she gasped. There was a tight grasp within her. It was beyond painful. Minimal gawks of sound escaped her mouth. There was no way to express the feeling. Tightening and slight tugs soon followed. Her legs gave out and collapsed to her knees. She searched her body for an arm or a hand attached to her only to be disappointed by an absence. She was dumbfounded.

Tugging and ripping. She could practically hear the tearing. Within her, a part of her was being taken with no mercy. It was slow and tortures. Her hands fell to the ground. She gasped and clawed at the ground below her as something unexplainable was surging through her. More and more, weakness and emptiness was replacing whatever was being taken from her. Her spirit. Her whole mind and body. Ripping away from her. Forehead on the ground now. It was unbearable. Her spirit. It was leaving her. And there was nothing she could do. Giving up, she counted the seconds. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

Gone.

Deeply in taking as much air as she could, Lin's eyes shot open and she sat up into a sitting position immediately. Still in shock, her eyes blinked rapidly to the darkness surrounding her, something familiar about it. Her body trembled slightly and her clothing stuck to her skin, glued with sweat. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she soon found herself staring at the doors to her bedroom. Scanning the room, she found familiar objects. Her dresser. Her closet. Her radio and bedside table. It was her bedroom.

Lin's breathing was audible in the still air but had normalized after a few minutes of looking around the room. However, her body still shivered, still shakened. Lin wrapped her arms around herself trying to find comfort. Her mind tried itself at soothing her. Just a stupid dream. Dreams aren't real. They can't hurt you and you shouldn't be scared.

Water. That's what she needed. Hydrating herself seemed logical seeing as she lost so much liquid from sweating. She touched her face. No. Those are not tears.

She swept her legs to the side of the bed. The moment she touched the floor, she shivered. Winter was rough. Not only that, but there was a draft swirling through. It reminded her of the outside. The cold city she was welcomed in every single day. Her city. At least since she had been reinstated. Lin hurriedly made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a cup. For a second, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Bags upon bags was all she saw beneath her eyes. Lin just sighed.

The sound of water pouring into the cup brought tranquility to her mind. Before then, Lin was still freaking out about her nightmare. Scratch that, allusion she meant. Constantly, her inner voice told her the same thing. You're just tired.

"You're losing your touch, Beifong."

She must be real tired because that definitely sounded like his voice.

"Don't tell me your deaf too."

Nope. This was really happening.

Finally, her feet picked up the heartbeat. The same heartbeat she had laid in bed with all those years before. Her legs carried her towards the open balcony doors, also answering her question about the source of the draft. Lin stayed near the door frame as she answered.

"A little late to be admiring the city, Bumi."

The commander remained faced away. "Those feet aren't what they used to be, Lin. You would have noticed me the second you touched the floor, but you didn't. Why is that?"

"I'm not my mother you know. Seismic sense is hard to work with when I have eyes."

"When we were kids you would use it all the time. I don't know how many times I got a rock to my head." Bumi laughed.

Lin tried to hide her smile and thanked the spirits that he was turned around. "Good times I would say."

"And so would I." she could have sworn he heard him chuckle. "Now get out of the doorway and come over here."

Surprisingly, the chief didn't hesitate. Lin made her way over to him and, at once, Bumi wrapped his arms around her waist. Together they stayed cuddling next to the railing of the balcony.

"What are you doing here anyways? I thought Tenzin was watching you ever so closely."

"I'm not a child, Lin." She felt his face shift into what she could only guess was a pout. "He was watching me to make sure I wasn't teaching his kids anything stupid. I can still go wherever I please."

"Even at one o'clock in the morning?" The chief turned around right into his beard. She didn't mind. "How did you even get in here?"

"I'm a military man. I've been trained to do combat and you think breaking into a house is a problem for me?"

Lin didnt give him any look of understanding. Instead, she looked at him expressionless. "You used the spare key I gave you."

"Technically, it isn't a spare. It is your actual and only key."

She pushed him away slightly. Bumi quickly returned even closer to her. "You know I can just metal bend the lock, commander stupid."

"Of course. Anyways, yes, that is how I got in here."

Lin crossed her arms, creating some distance between him and her. "And why are you here?"

"I a non-bender but my father was the avatar. Some of his spirit sensing stuff must have been hereditary. I had a hunch that you were bothered. Uncomfortable. Maybe even scared."

She controlled her impulse to cringe from being caught. He knew. She couldn't find herself to believe it. Lin turned towards the railing and leaned her forearms upon it. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're wrong. I'm perfectly fine."

"Then why are you up right now?"

"I was thirsty."

Bumi traced his fingers upon her back. Through her silk sleep wear, he can feel the toned muscles. Chiseled from hard work ever since she was a kid. Even he had his share of training. Sword fighting, boomerang training, and even chi blocking only used if he was really desperate. They had both come a long way. But now, he knew that this wasn't the chief of police he was talking to. It was just Lin.

Finally, the commander responded. "Then why are your eyes red?"

"I'm tired." Lin answered sternly. She remained faced away from him.

Bumi breathed out deeply. "Stop lying me to me, Beifong."

Lin finally allowed herself to tense. Bumi received his straight answer.

"I'm fine now. Go back to the island."

"No."

The chief escaped Bumi's close proximity and started towards the apartment. The hair faced commander followed silently. Once inside, he crossed his arms and talked to Lin as she drank the rest of her water.

"So what happened?"

She placed the glass in the sink. "Oh that's right, you don't know, do you?"

"I've been at sea for the past six months. A guy misses out on a lot of information."

"See, that's just it." Bumi could hear the sarcastic laugh within her voice. "You never do know what happens. You are never here. Especially when you're needed here the most."

"I'm needed here? Or do you mean you needed me?"

Bumi could tell the anger building up within her as her fists were starting to crumple the sink.

"I don't need you. I'm getting by just on my own. I got by all those times you were gone. Like when I got these scars." her voice cracked with her nest statement. "When I was pregnant."

"I tried, Lin. I really did. Do you know how hard it was just to see glimpses of my son's life? I was missing so many moments. It killed me." His voice was strong, but still sympathetic.

"You get to see him all the time now. How is he doing?"

Bumi dug his hands in his pockets. "Ren is fine. Works with me on my ship. Third in command with Iroh being second. Some of the soldiers think the system is rigged, but Ren just shuts them off. Inherited that incredible intimidation of yours."

"That's great. That's really great. I'm proud." There was a sense of relief in her voice. "When he was younger, he told me he wanted to be like his dad. Well look at him now."

"Yeah, a dad he only saw every six months. I feel terrible, Lin. Honestly."

Lin let her head point upwards and her eyes close. "It's fine. We already talked about this."

Bumi walked towards her but didn't dare touch her. Not yet anyways. "So what is it this time?"

She turned around, her eyes brimmed with tears. She kept herself looking away from him.

"I lost my bending."

His eyes grew wide in disbelief. No, no, no. If she lost her bending, then that would mean that he got her. Bumi grabbed her shoulders. "What?"

She continued to avoid eye contact. Bumi tried locking gazes, but she refused.

"Lin, look at me." She stopped struggling and looked at the ground. "Amon got you?"

"Yeah."

Quickly, he whipped himself around and banged his hands on the dining room table. Lin flinched at the gesture.

"I should have been here. I could have prevented this somehow. Some way, somehow, I could have prot-"

"It was my fault. I sacrificed myself." Lin interjected. "To save Tenzin and the kids. He would have taken their bending."

Bumi's shoulders shrugged and relaxed. "Thank you. For saving them."

"Now who is going to save me? Hm?"

He turned around and finally their locked eyes. There were only two times he had seen cry. One had been when Ren was born. The second was when her mother died. This would be the third. Her green eyes were drowned by the tears and her lip quivered like a child. It broke his heart.

"It was a nightmare that woke me up. It was like I was losing my bending all over again. This wasn't the first night my sleep has been interrupted."

He tried reaching out to her but she refused contact. She returned a scowl. "Do you know how many nights I've spent crying, expecting someone on the left side of my bed to comfort me?"

Bumi caught her arm. "Let me do just that. Come on. I'm here now."

Lin stared at their contact. She missed it so bad. "Yeah, but what happens when you're gone again?"

Bumi gently used his other hand to lift her head by her chin until their eyes met. "You aren't the only one with news, Love."

She searched for an answer in his eyes, however, the tears still in hers blocked most of her vision. Instead, Lin stayed silent.

Bumi took a deep breath before speaking. Internally, he was smiling from how excited he was.

"Love, I'm becoming the lead of coast guard here in Republic city. Iroh is going to become commander. I'm staying here. For good."

Lin stared at him with disbelief. "W-What?"

"Get those rocks out of ears, Love. You're stuck with me." He smiled.

"Y-You're staying? For good? You're not leaving anymore?"

Bumi looked right into her eyes. "Just to go to work. But I'll usually be home by six. That's not too much time apart is it?"

Before he could even register, Lin wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. Her face remained in his chest and he could feel the fabric dampening. Bumi held in his chuckle. Even at fifty, she was just too cute.

"I'm going to take that as a no."

Lin suddenly pushed both of them apart and viciously wiped her eyes from the remaining tears. "Sorry, I just needed to get that out of my system. It's great, Bumi. Really."

The ex-commander quickly grabbed her head and kissed her. Lin felt the warmth of his beard brushing against her chin and part of her neck. His hands were warm against her face. She held them in place. Lin kissed back, something she had wished for the past couple months. It had been forever since they were this intimate. Bumi's tongue darted for entry and Lin allowed him to penetrate the barriers of her lips. Suave as he was, the ex-commander danced with her and enjoyed every minute of it.

After what seemed like ten minutes, Bumi ended their kiss and stared at his lover. She was flushed. He only smirked. Surprising her, he picked up her dainty, but strong, body and walked to the bedroom. Lin didn't fight or hit him at all. She hit the bed. In a flash, his shirt came off and Bumi climbed into bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let his head lay atop her shoulder. His nose inhaled the scent of her hair.

"So is this what I've been missing out on? Cuddling with you every night?"

Lin nuzzled against the hair on his head. "Also a little boy coming in here every now and then. Ren usually liked sleeping with me up till he was nine. That's when the boys said sleeping with their mom is 'weird.'"

"I think he mentioned that in one of his letters. What else have I missed?"

"Well, you missed many of his birthdays. The day he entered and graduated from the metal bending academy. The time I fell into the bay and Ren had to come in and get me because I didn't know how to swim. I could go on and on, but it's about three o'clock in the morning."

Bumi kissed her cheek. "We have all the time in the world. I'll catch on eventually."

"By the way, " Lin started. "What's happening with Ren once you come the city permanently?"

The ex-commander chuckled slightly. "Yeah, bout that. It was actually supposed to be surprise but it seems our little boy is tired of working on the naval ships."

"That's not a good surprise."

"Even if I said that he decided to follow in his mother's footsteps instead?"

Lin smiled widely, something so out of character. "Really?"

"Just remember to act just as surprised tomorrow when he tells you." Bumi urged.

"I will. Don't worry."

Both their eyes started to flutter as exhaustion started to take over them.

Bumi whispered lightly, "Goodnight, Love."

Before she could pass on to good dreams, she answered him with her heart.

"Goodnight, Love."

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**I had this in my notebook for awhile. Some more Linumi!**


End file.
